Only 323 people prescribed COVID-19 medication Paxlovid so far

New Brunswick has now received 3,550 treatment courses ofPaxlovid, theantiviral drug treatment forCOVID-19.

That's up from its first shipment of 700 from the federal government in January, after the pills made by Pfizer were approved by Health Canada.

But only 323 people have received the drug so far, according to Department of Health spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane.

He did not immediately respond to questions about why only nine per cent of the supply has been dispensed.

Although Paxlovidhas been hailed by some doctors as a pandemic "game changer"that couldrelieve some of the pressure on the health-care system,people across the country have told CBC News they've faced obstacles accessing the treatment.

To be effective, Paxlovid must be taken within five days of developing symptoms and it's limited to adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to serious disease, including hospitalization or death.

Macfarlane did not immediately respond to questions about how New Brunswick is faring at meeting the demand as case counts climb now that all provincial COVID-19 restrictions, such as isolation, masking and physical distancing,have been lifted.

Paxlovid is designed to help the body fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus, reduce symptoms from an infection and shorten the period of illness.

Those who are currently eligibleto receive a prescription forPaxlovid from a primary care practitionerin New Brunswick include:

• People 80 and older
• People 18 and older who are immunocompromisedby active or recent cancer treatment within the past months, a solidorgan transplant, a stem cell transplant within the past years, moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency or advanced or untreated HIV infection, or moderate to severe immunosuppressive treatment, such as biologic medications or high-dose systemic corticosteroids
• People 60-79 years of age who are partially or "under vaccinated," meaning they don'thave all the vaccine doses they are eligible for
• People 60-79 years of age who either live in a long-term care home orreceivehome care, or arefrom or livein a First Nations community

Not everyone who is eligible is able to take Paxlovid because the drug interacts with other medications.

Macfarlane did not immediately provide any breakdown of the 323 people who have received the drug to date or provide any information about the treatment's success.

Asked whether the province is considering expanding eligibility to other groups, such as those with underlying conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, he did not immediately respond.

Nor did he immediately say whether the province is considering following the lead of Quebec and give pharmacists the authority to prescribe Paxlovid to improve access. Quebec is the only jurisdiction in Canada to have done so. In addition, all1,900 community pharmacies will also carry the medication.

Macfarlane did say Paxlovid is currently being distributed by 55 community pharmacies across New Brunswick.

He did not immediately say when the province is scheduled to receive more Paxlovid or how much more is expected.

As of March 31, Health Canada said it has shipped enough doses for 150,000 people to the provinces and territories, allocated on a per capita basis.

Hospitalizations reach record high

New Brunswick reported nine more COVID-related deaths and78 people in hospital because of the virus in its new weekly report called COVIDWATCH Tuesday.

People who are initially admitted to hospital for another reason and later test positive for COVID are no longer included.

ButChief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell told CBCthe combined total is actually 178an increase of 36 from the previous weekand a new record high. The previous record was 165on Feb. 2.

Nine people require intensive care.

There are 8,670 new cases of COVID, including3,888 PCR-confirmed tests and 4,782 self-reported rapid tests. The province's active case count now stands at6,134, an increase of 1,181.

Paxlovidcombines a new antiviral drug developed by Pfizer called nirmatrelvirwith an existing antiretroviral drug namedritonavir.

Nirmatrelvir interferes with the proteins the coronavirus needs to multiply and stops it from infecting more cells. Ritonavir slows the breakdown of nirmatrelvir so it stays in the body long enough to do its job.

Afull course of treatment requires a patient to take30 pills two nirmatrelvir and oneritonavir taken together twice a dayfor five days.

In November, Pfizer reportedthat Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by89 per cent compared to a placebo in non-hospitalized high-risk adults with COVID-19.